MegaNatural®

MegaNatural® is a line of patented, high-quality grape seed extracts clinically proven to reduce elevated blood pressure.

Meganatural is a brand of grape seed extract. It is primarily used in cardiovascular health supplements, but also has other applications, such as antioxidant defense. This Meganatural review details its advantages over plain grape seed supplements:

Patented. Meganatural is manufactured through a proprietary process and is the only grape seed extract patented to maintain healthy blood pressure.
Clinically researched. Meganatural’s blood pressure and antioxidant benefits are backed by multiple clinical studies.
Specialized. Meganatural offers multiple versions of grape seed extract designed for specific conditions, such as blood pressure or glucose control.

Table of Contents

Overview

Meganatural is a patented brand of grape seed extracts made by American company Polyphenolics. Grape and wine consumption has long been associated with health benefits, and grape seed extracts are popular for supporting cardiovascular health and other concerns.

Made from California wine grapes, Meganatural stands out from generic grape seed extracts thanks to clinical research evidence. In addition, it is backed by multiple U.S. and worldwide patents protecting its manufacture and use for reducing blood pressure.

Meganatural comes in multiple specialized varieties:

Meganatural BP, which is designed for heart & cardiovascular health uses
Meganatural Gold, which has been demonstrated to have greater antioxidant activity than Vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene
Meganatural GL, which is formulated for reducing blood glucose levels and currently undergoing research
Meganatural GSKE, an extract made from grape pomace
Meganatural Red Grape Juice Extract

As a supplement ingredient, Meganatural is usually used in its BP formulation, which can be added to cardiovascular supplements, pre-workout products, and other formulas.

How does Meganatural work?

The main active ingredients in Meganatural products are called polyphenols. These natural compounds stimulate the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which produces nitric oxide (NO). ¹ In turn, NO relaxes the blood vessels, improving blood flow.

In addition, polyphenols possess antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can further aid cardiovascular and overall health. Finally, Meganatural grape extracts also contain other ingredients with multiple health benefits, such as anthocyanins.

Did you know? Grape seed, leaves, and sap have been used for their medicinal benefits since ancient Greece.

Grapes and wine have long been recognized for their health benefits. Image by Tom Maack [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Meganatural Patents

The manufacture and uses of Meganatural products are protected by numerous U.S. and worldwide patents. The most notable of these include:

A unique production method for Meganatural BP, which includes a hot water extraction process instead of harsh solvents, and produces an extract with a low average molecular weight, which enhances its efficacy (U.S. patent 6,544,581)
The use of Meganatural BP for lowering elevated blood pressure (U.S. patent 7,651,707)

Meganatural Nutritional Supplement Uses

Thanks to their wide-ranging health effects and multiple formulations, Meganatural extracts are versatile ingredients with many uses. They can most commonly be found in:

Cardiovascular Health Supplements

Grape seed extract has been shown to help with a variety of cardiovascular concerns, including high blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis, poor circulation and venous insufficiency, and high blood pressure. More importantly, multiple clinical studies have shown that Meganatural BP reduces blood pressure in individuals with pre-hypertension.

Pre-Workout Supplements

Pre-workout supplements often include compounds that enhance nitric oxide (NO) because it dilates the blood vessels, resulting in increased blood flow. This effect is believed to enhance muscle performance and recovery during exercise. SInce Meganatural BP also enhances NO release and blood flow, it is frequently added to pre-workout formulas.

Blood Sugar Supplements

Meganatural’s GL formulation is ideal for reducing blood glucose levels, and preliminary research suggests that it reduces insulin resistance. As such, it is beginning to be added to blood sugar control supplements.

Meganatural Advantages

Compared to generic grape seed extracts, Meganatural has several notable advantages:

Specialization: Meganatural is unique for offering multiple grape seed extract formulations meant for specific health concerns, such as blood pressure and antioxidant defense.
Unique composition: Meganatural’s products have unique, standardized compositions that contain a guaranteed amount of bioactive polyphenols, anthocyanins, and other active ingredients.
Clinical research: Meganatural’s blood pressure and antioxidant health benefits are backed by multiple human studies, most of which are high-quality randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
Safety: Meganatural is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA and is produced through a mild method that uses water as the only solvent.
Quality: Meganatural products are made from California-grown, non-GMO, sustainably-processed red and white grapes.

Meganatural Research

Human Research

Clinical studies report that Meganatural BP reduces blood pressure in individuals with pre-hypertension (elevated blood pressure).

Meganatural BP (150-300 mg) appears to lower blood pressure

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the benefits of Meganatural grape seed extract (GSE) on blood pressure. A total of 27 people with metabolic syndrome were given placebo or GSE at 150 mg or 300 mg daily for 4 weeks. Compared to placebo, the GSE groups experienced reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

The researchers concluded that “GSE could be used as a nutraceutical in a lifestyle modification program for patients with the metabolic syndrome.” ²

Meganatural BP (300 mg) may lower blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressure

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of Meganatural grape seed extract (GSE) on blood pressure in people with pre-hypertension. A total of 32 participants were given placebo or GSE (300 mg) daily for 8 weeks. Compared to placebo, the GSE group saw reductions of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

The researchers concluded that “…GSE could be used as a nutraceutical in a lifestyle modification program for patients withpre-hypertension.” ³

Meganatural BP (300 mg) mixed in a drink appears to lower blood pressure in people with pre-hypertension

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of Meganatural grape seed extract (GSE) on blood pressure. A total of 36 people with pre-hypertension were given a placebo drink one with GSE (300 mg) daily for 6 weeks. Compared to placebo, the GSE group saw reductions of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Unlike placebo, the GSE drink group experienced a reduction in systolic (5.6%) and diastolic (4.7%) blood pressure. In addition, people with higher initial blood pressure had greater improvements.

The researchers concluded that “GSE was found to be safe and to improve BP in people with pre-hypertension…” ⁴

Meganatural Gold appears to have strong antioxidant effects

This multi-part study evaluated the antioxidant potency of Meganatural Gold (MNG), a specialized antioxidant grape seed extract. Researchers compared this extract to grapes, grape juice, red wine, other grapeseed extracts, and other antioxidant compounds. MNG showed the highest antioxidant strength in both isolated cell culture tests and in nine study participants. A 600 mg dose of MNG was found to have equivalent antioxidant benefits to 300 ml of red wine and 1250 mg of vitamin C.

The researchers concluded that “MegaNatural((R)) Gold had a superior quantity/quality antioxidant index compared with all other samples tested.” ⁵

Did you know? One of the proposed explanations for the “French Paradox” – the fact that the French have a low rate of cardiovascular disease despite consuming a diet high in saturated fat – is red wine consumption.

Meganatural Dosage

Successful clinical studies typically use 150-300 mg dosages of Meganatural BP
Standalone Meganatural supplements also provide 150-300 mg dosages
Multi-ingredient products use similar dosages, but it depends on supplement category

Supplements in Review Recommendation

Meganatural® as part of a cardiovascular, pre-workout, or blood sugar formula.

Meganatural is the most trusted, research-backed brand of grape seed extract. With multiple condition-specific formulations & patents, research evidence, and U.S.-based production, Meganatural is the highest quality line of grape seed extracts on the market.

Dosage depends on particular use. When used for blood pressure, Meganatural should be taken in dosages of 150-300 mg. For other uses, refer to your particular supplement.

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